California's new high-speed rail chief pledged to strengthen his staff, reconsider some assumptions about the $43 billion project, including how it will be paid for, and form partnerships with industry experts, legislators and local officials, and community groups.

"A project of this magnitude needs partners," Roelof van Ark said on his third day on the job. He was hired last month as the California High Speed Rail Authority's first chief executive officer. "The High Speed Rail Authority under my leadership is definitely going to be reaching out - to all of you - to make this a wonderful project."

Van Ark, in his first public remarks, at the start of the authority's monthly meeting, said he's read the scathing reports from the state auditor and legislative analyst questioning the project's financing plans and criticizing its lax management and planning.

"All point to the same things we need to address," he said.

His plan to address those concerns begins with assembling a stronger - and larger - staff. The authority has just a handful of employees and relies on consultants working under contract to perform most of the work. Van Ark, a 30-year veteran of the high-speed rail industry and most recently president of the firm that build's France's TGV trains, said he is not dissatisfied with the current staff but wants to expand. He said he's aware that will require the consent of the Legislature, which has grown increasingly critical of the authority, and said he knows he will have to persuade lawmakers.

Van Ark said he will also question some of the assumptions - or major decisions - on which the high-speed rail project has been based. He offered no specifics but said he will visit all areas of the system and meet with most consultants working on the project within 60 days to make sure he's aware of the issues in all regions.

But van Ark hinted that one of those assumptions would be funding. Between a state bond measure and federal high-speed rail funding, the agency has secured about a quarter of the money needed to build the first phase of the system from the Transbay Terminal in downtown San Francisco to Anaheim. Current plans call for about $12 billion to come from private investors with $15 billion more from the federal government and $3 billion from local governments. Critics have assailed the plan as unrealistic and lacking details.

The authority has done an excellent job securing money so far, van Ark said, having raised nearly $12 billion in 1 1/2 years. But the authority needs a firmer funding plan.

"We will be focusing with our financial advisers to secure other funding for the project," he said.

Van Ark ended his six minutes of remarks with a promise of more inclusiveness. Some cities, political leaders and community groups, including on the Peninsula, have complained that the authority and its consultants have been dismissive and unresponsive to their concerns.

"I'm serious about this job," he said. "But it's not going to be possible to do it alone."